The Brain Candy Podcast

We got an update on the serial pooper, and we were way off OR WERE WE??? We learn how an ingredient in Doritos can change the skin of mice and we debate the order of Doritos flavors over time. Sarah reveals some fun facts about the brain, the reasons some people are shy (and Susie ought to be more compassionate about shyness!), and what causes brain freeze/frozen throat. Sarah watched a documentar...

Sarah's getting some new wheels, and let's just say she's probably going to make a lot of lesbian friends thanks to her vehicle. Susie is still trying to successfully do one pull-up, and has a message for anyone working towards a goal. Plus, she reports back about her experience with her colonoscopy alternative and the hilarious instructions she got about collecting her...specimen. We discuss a do...

Sarah is nursing her finger back to health, but believes the injury will bring something good into her life (optimistic as ever). She talks about the Behind the Mask docuseries, which examines the people who are team mascots. Sarah is reading the Feather Thief for Candy Club, and is thinking about people who collect animal parts and how these natural items become valuable and sought after. We find...

Sarah is on a hilarity roll, and we're here for it, but she's going to need some humor to get through her water polo (for seniors) injury. Hopefully her new hot doctor will make her feel better. We discuss the ending of Chimp Crazy, and the wild ways people cope with trauma, loss of identity, and a search for meaning. We talk about the latest serial pooper running loose, and the reasons Sarah thin...

Susie's son got in trouble at school, but we fully support his shenanigans and think we've taught him well. Sarah shared a story about teachers who heard a rustling noise coming from a backpack and when they opened it up they discovered a turtle. But some of the kids's parents were mad the teachers didn't get "consent" to search the bags, so they invaded the kindergarteners' privacy. We hear how c...

We've done it everyone. We finally got Susie's silent laugh to the next level with what feels like ten minutes of hysterical laughter. We're not proud that it's about rectal exams, but it is what it is. We hear why the Baywatch docuseries is a must-watch, Sarah might have to squash her beef with Hobie, and the cast is similar to reality cast members. We learn about the Chimp Crazy documentary, the...

We keep planning our reunions, and they never pan out, and it might result in an impromptu Brain Candy meetup. We hear why women in leadership roles are criticized at a much higher frequency than their male counterparts and for more superficial reasons (big surprise). We discuss a new policy at a restaurant who won't let anyone under 30 inside. Hear why a paralympian was disqualified from the game...

Sarah is showing what can happen when you put yourself out there and we're here for it. We debate whether a baseball player who is banned from the sport should still be eligible for the Hall of Fame (aka Pete Rose). Sarah begins on one side of the argument, but Susie persuades her to change her mind. We discuss the Karen Carpenter documentary that shows what led to her death by eating disorder, ho...

Susie's 30 for 30 journey continues with the documentary about Dude Perfect, the YouTube sensations (and megahit) who specialize in trick shots and other sports spectacles. We hear how they got started, how they were able to harness their virality, and what it's really like creating content as a full-time job as middle-aged men. We hear the latest science on patients with brain damage, and how res...

Sarah is getting emotional about her water polo resurgence, and wants you all to do something to challenge yourself. We discuss how she didn't take advantage of her rich ex-husband, and how next time she should have a little more fun. We talk about the surgeon general, who has been giving advice about self-care, wellness, and other more abstract mental health techniques, and receiving criticism by...

Susie had a magical birthday thanks to a serendipitous meeting with one of her favorite people on the planet. Plus, she got her wish to own an accordion! We try to figure out why Sarah hates traditional music (allegedly). We discuss the viral sensation and Olympic unlikely athlete, Australia's b-girl who broke the Internet with her breaking. Is she an inspiration or a problem? Sarah reminisces abo...

We learn about the strange coincidence Sarah experienced regarding an ex while she was at camp, and the hilarious way she handled it. We got an update on Sarah's water polo (for grownups) league she's in. And even though historically she's gotten a lot of crap for strapping on a swim cap, but no more, she's bound for world record attempts. We find out why public pools are closing, and what we lose...

We're discussing the boy band documentary, Dirty Pop, which details the exploitation of teen hearthrobs, and we discuss the reasons why girls have different fandom behaviors than boys. We talk about a 30 for 30 where a football player creates a persona to handle the press and get attention, but the line between identity and brand are blurred to big consequences. We find out what people dream, how...

Sarah is hoping high heels don't come back in style because she has to work on her toe spread. We discuss. We hear how hundreds of nuns were able to show the secret to a healthy brain, and we learn why your vocabulary could predict your likelihood of cognitive issues. Sarah joined a queer water polo team for "seniors," and we are psyched that she's going to find her soul mate in the deep end. We d...

Apparently there is a den of thousands of rattlesnakes in Colorado, so Sarah is freaking out, and we think rattlesnakes are publishing propaganda to help their reputation. Steve Jobs was a weirdo with a very strange method for relieving stress. Susie talks about an aggressive football program that was accused of being "thugs," and we debate whether it's bad sportsmanlike conduct or a great strateg...

Sarah is keeping up her New Year's resolution of stretching, but it turns out she needs some strength to go with it because her physical therapist says she's like a combination between the tin man and Gumby. Susie had a run in with a pigeon and she is not happy about it. Bald eagles have a great publicist because despite what they put in the movies, these guys sound like little sea gulls and ducks...

Susie saw an interview with Charles Manson's son, and wanted Sarah to explain why he was so forgiving of his dad. Susie gave a pep talk about the USA and why you shouldn't be despondent about the state of our country, despite what you might feel, after watching a documentary about North Korea. We learn about an Asian phenomenon of malaise and isolation among young people and why the government is...

Sarah says she might want to be alone forever, but will this peaceful moment be forever? Sarah explains why communal tables are back in style, but Susie is not impressed. We hear why Sarah's worst date ever involved a case of mistaken identity and dirty fingernails. Plus, did you know Sarah's had ringworm. Now you do. We mourn our quirky king and queen Richard Simmons and Dr. Ruth, and explain why...

Susie describes two documentaries about the complexities, risks, and problems with sperm donation, and explains why some men are trying to father as many children as possible and how the mothers and babies are the ones who experience the consequences. We learn about a "protest" in Boston where people fought for the metro system to put googly eyes on buses, and the unexpected outcome they caused. M...

We got to have a meetup in real life, and it was magical, except for a disastrous restaurant dining experience where we felt like we were on a Challenge and were force fed disgusting food. We talk about how social media is influencing the photos we take, the memories we make, and the ways it affects our lives. Sarah is trying to overcome her fear of rodents, and a breed of giant rats that scientis...

Susie talks about the new docuseries, Six Schizophrenic Brothers, which is an accompaniment to the book we read in Candy Club, Pleasant Valley Road, about a family of twelve siblings in which six of them have that mental illness. We talk about how their disorder manifests, why it "scares" Susie, and what we can learn from them. We hear that a Mexican church is selling plots of land...in heaven, an...

Sarah is going solo camping, so she's preparing to fight man and beast by herself. We discuss how reality tv never was what it seemed and there were always interventions from producers to make the show "more interesting." And we're talking to Emily Nussbaum about her book, Cue the Sun: The Invention of Reality TV, to learn more about it all! Sarah explains a lot about the remains of Lucy, but in c...

Susie is still laughing about Sarah's technique for scaring off bears, but turns out, Sarah isn't wrong. We hear about the problem bear she's about to encounter at camp. We discuss how men are animals at sporting events, but also how "sports anthems" are created. We find out why Sweet Caroline, Livin on a Prayer, and Don't Stop Believing became ubiquitous at games despite having nothing to do with...

Sarah is so happy to be home owner (except for all the things that break, go wrong, and cost money)! She's adulting hard today. We learn about astronauts who are stranded at the International Space Station and Sarah is probably panicking more than them or the person responsible (Elon Musk). And she explains how their situation reminds her of being on The Real World. Hear us out. We discuss "music...

Susie's back in the New World, and has a mysterious illness caused by a mystery creature. Her medical anomalies never stop. Sarah is back from a pirate ship adventure where she fought the law and the law won. We discuss the controversial documentary, Tell Them You Love Me, about a scholar who was working with a non-verbal, developmentally disabled man with cerebral palsy who claims they are in lov...